Gun carriage



Feba 9 1,483,169 L. J. F. FILLOUX GUN CARRIAGE Filed Jan. 12. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Lu. F 5 4 Feb! y GUN CARRIAGE Filed Jan. 12. 1922 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Fig. 5

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Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

LOUIS JEAN FRANQOIS FILLQUX, OF LE HAVRE, FRANCE.

GUN CARRIAGE.

Application filed January 12, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs JEAN FRANgoIs FILLoUx, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at Le Havre, Seine-Inferieure France, 2 Rue Dubocaqe de Bleville, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gun Carriages; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to artillery with gun-carriages of the split trail type and has for its object to permit the easy travel of the gun even over bad terrain; this improvement is characterized essentially by the direct mounting on each of the trail members of a chain-track, which serve for the travel of the carriage over bad surfaces. These chain-tracks, following spreading and swinging movements of the trails, cannot, in spite of their length which is much greater than that of the usual wheels, obstruct the spreading of the trails as would be the case if they were part of the axle or of the bottom carriage. The invention consists, further, in the arrangement at the front of the bottom carriage, of a front axle and wheels of normal track mounted in a detachable manner, which wheels serve for the travel of the gun-carriage along a road, and of a screw-jack provided with a preferably knee jointed shoe or plate of suitable dimensions and which forms, during firing, a point of forward sup-port and enables at the same time contact between the chain tracks and the ground to be dispensed with.

By reason of these arrangements, there is obtained a piece of artillery easily transportable by road and over all kinds of terrain and affording all the advantages of split trail carriages in manoeuvring and firing.

The annexed drawing represents by way of example. a piece of artillery with split trail, the members of which are jointed to the bottom-carriage by axes, and provided with the improvement forming the subject of the present invention.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the piece of artillery in the position for travelling by road.

Figure 2 is the corresponding plan view.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the gun in position for travel over bad terrains.

Figure at is the corresponding plan view.

Serial ITO. 528,815.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation set up for firing.

Figure 6 is the corresponding plan view.

According to the present invention, the split-trail members a. a of the guncarriage are provided each with an endless chaintrack 6 Z2 either fixed rigidly upon the corresponding member or mounted, as more particularly shown in Figure 2, by the aid of tenons c 0 c 0 fast to the frames of the chain-tracks b b and entering mortises d al (i d which are fast to the members a a When this last mentioned arrangement is employed, the gun-carriage can be relieved of its chain tracks during transport by road.

The chain-tracks b b servefor the trans port of the gun over bad surfaces (Figures 3 and 4) and follow the movements of the members a a (Figures 5 and 6) during the setting up and firing operations.

The frame or bottom-carriage e upon which the trail-members a 0. are jointed is provided with a forward prolongation e at the extremity of whit-his mounted in a of the gun detachable manner an axle f provided with wheels f these wheels serve for the transport of the gun along roads when its trailmembers a a have been swung together and rest, as customary, upon a limber or forecarriage g which may be self-propelled or hauled.

Upon the prolongation e of the bottomcarriage isv also mounted the screw-jack 7a. which serves as a front support for the gun when set up for firing. the Contact of the screw-jack with the ground is effected by the intermediary of a shoe or plate. 7& of suitable dimensions. Q

The chain-tracks b and are preferably so designed and provided that the centre of gravity of the whole mass is situated in the middle transversal plan of the chaintrack devices, so that traction will be effected by directly hooking or securing the junction of the members 0, a to the hauling vehicle 9 without a forecarriage (Figure Thus one can then easily avoid having to move back the gun upon the splittrail to bring and fix it into the position for road travel.

The setting up for firing is effected by raising the front of the gun-carriage by means of the screw-jack it (Figure 5) which continues to supportthe gun-carriage during firing. The gun-carriage then rests on the front of the chain-track fitted gun-carriage into the set up position affords, in the case of this invention, quite special advantagesl lVithout this screwj ack the gun-carriage would tend to reston the gronnd:- (a) by the two ends of the members a a (6) by'the lower parts of the chaintracks; the latter by reason of.- their, length do not behave wheels do, which latter have each only one point of contact with the ground, and therefore this arrangen'ient would be possible only on absolutely flat ground or. would require. a levelling of the ground inconsistent with rapidity in setting up the gun.

Lastly, without departing from the spirit of the invention, the chain-tracks can be mounted on a framework capable of oscillating relatively to the members a a about an overhung axle rigidly mounted on each of the trail members.

What I claim is 1. A gun carriage of the split trail type comprising, in combination, a frame, two trail members pivoted thereon, and chain track directly mounted, indegendently of the trail pivot, on each of said trail members, for the purpose described;

2. A gun carriage of the split trail. type comprising, in combination, a frame, two trail members pivoted thereon, and a chain track directly and detachably mounted, independently of the trail pivot, on each of said trail members, for the purpose described.

3. A gun carriage of the split trail type comprising, in combination, a frame, two trail members pivoted thereon, and a chain track directly and rigidly mounted. on each of said trail members, and independently of the trail pivot, for the purpose described.

4. A gun carriage. of the split trail type comprising, in combination, a frame, two trailfmembers pivoted thereon, and a chain track directly, detachably, and rigidly mounted on each of said trail members, and

resales independently of the trail pivot, for the purpose described.

5. A gun carriage of the split trail type comprising, in combination, a frame, two trail members directly and pivotally connected to the frame, and a chain track directly mounted independently of the trail pivot, on each of said trail members, for

' the purpose described.

6. A gun carriage of the split trail type comprising, two trail members, and a chain track directly mounted on each of said members, in combination with raising means arranged at the front part of the gun carriage.

7. gun carriage of the split trail type comprising, two trail members, and a chain track directly mounted on each of said members, in combination with a screw jack arranged at the front part of the gun carriage.

8. A gun carriage of the split trail type comprising, two trail members, a chain track directly and detachably mounted on each of said trail members, in combination with raising means arranged at the front part of the gun carriage.

9. A gun carriage of the split trail type, comprising, two trail. members, a chain track directly mounted on each of said trail members in combination with an axle positionable at the front part of the carriage, roadwheels detachably mounted on said axle, and a screw-jack arranged at the front part of the gun carriage.

10. A gun carriage of the split trail type, omprising two trail members, a chain track directly mounted on each of said trail. memhere, in combination with an axle. positionable at the front part of the carriage, roadwhcels, being detachably. mounted on said. axle.

11. A gun carriage of the split trail type, comprising, two trail members, a chain track directly and detachably mounted on each of said trail members, an axle positioned at the front part of the carriage, road-wheels detachably mounted on said axle, and a. screwjack arranged at the front part of the gun carriage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my. name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUlS JEAN. FRANQOIS FlLLOllX. Witnesses J. ARMENGAUD, Aim, P. ARMENGAUD. 

